Scheffersomyces illinoinensis was originally isolated from rotten wood (Carya illinoinensis) in Louisiana, USA. This species is remarkable for its ability to ferment xylose. Further study showed that it could ferment sugars and produce ethanol from hemicellulosic hydrolysate.
References:
Urbina, H., Blackwell, M. 2012. Multilocus phylogenetic study of the Scheffersomyces yeast clade and characterization of the N-terminal region of xylose reductase gene. PLoS One, 7(6), e39128.
Cadete, R. M., Melo‐Cheab, M. A., Dussán, K. J., Rodrigues, R. C. L. B., Da Silva, S. S., Gomes, F. C. O., & Rosa, C. A. 2017. Production of bioethanol in sugarcane bagasse hemicellulosic hydrolysate by Scheffersomyces parashehatae, Scheffersomyces illinoinensis and Spathaspora arborariae isolated from Brazilian ecosystems. Journal of Applied Microbiology, 123(5), 1203-1213.
